The Most Famous
SOCIAL ACTIVISTS from Egypt
This page contains a list of the greatest Egyptian Social Activists. The pantheon dataset contains 840 Social Activists, 8 of which were born in Egypt. This makes Egypt the birth place of the 17th most number of Social Activists behind Ukraine, and Mexico.
Top 9
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Egyptian Social Activists of all time. This list of famous Egyptian Social Activists is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Hassan al-Banna (1906 - 1949)
With an HPI of 70.48, Hassan al-Banna is the most famous Egyptian Social Activist. His biography has been translated into 47 different languages on wikipedia.
Hassan Ahmed Abd al-Rahman Muhammed al-Banna (Arabic: حسن أحمد عبد الرحمن محمد البنا; 14 October 1906 – 12 February 1949), known as Hassan al-Banna (Arabic: حسن البنا), was an Egyptian schoolteacher and Imam, best known for founding the Muslim Brotherhood. His Ikhwani movement is one of the largest and most influential of the global Islamic fundamentalist movements. Al-Banna's writings marked a turning-point in Islamic intellectual history by presenting a modern ideology based on Islam. Al-Banna considered Islam to be a comprehensive system of life, with the Quran and Sunnah as the only acceptable constitution. He called for Islamization of the state, the economy, and society. He declared that establishing a just society required development of institutions and progressive taxation, and elaborated an Islamic fiscal theory where zakat would be reserved for social expenditure in order to reduce inequality. Al-Banna's ideology involved criticism of Western materialism, British imperialism, and the traditionalism of the Egyptian ulema. He appealed to Egyptian and pan-Arab patriotism but rejected Arab nationalism and regarded all Muslims as members of a single nation-community. Following the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924, al-Banna called on Muslims to prepare for armed struggle against colonial rule; he warned Muslims against the "widespread belief" that "jihad of the heart" was more important than "jihad of the sword". He allowed the formation of a secret military wing within the Muslim Brotherhood, which took part in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Al-Banna generally encouraged Egyptians to abandon Western customs; and argued that the state should enforce Islamic public morality through censorship and application of hudud corporal punishment. Nonetheless, his thought was open to Western ideas and some of his writings quote European authors instead of Islamic sources. Al-Banna was assassinated by the Egyptian secret police in 1949. His son-in-law Said Ramadan emerged as a major leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s.
2. Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad (1927 - 1988)
With an HPI of 63.80, Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad is the 2nd most famous Egyptian Social Activist. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
‘Abdul-Basit ‘Abdus-Samad (Arabic: عبـدُ الباسِـط مُحـمّـد عبـدُ ٱلصّـمـد), or Abdel Basit Abdel Samad, or Abdul Basit Muhammad Abdus Samad (1927 – 30 November 1988) was an Egyptian Quran reciter and Hafiz. He is part of a quadrumvirate, along with Siddiq Al-Minshawi, Mustafa Ismail, and Al-Hussary, which are considered to be the most important and famous Qurra of modern times to have an outsized impact on the Islamic World. He was the first president of the Reciter's union in Egypt. He is known by the title "Golden Throat" and "Voice of Heaven" due to his melodious style, breath control, and unique emotional and engaging tone.
3. Huda Sha'arawi (1879 - 1947)
With an HPI of 59.14, Huda Sha'arawi is the 3rd most famous Egyptian Social Activist. Her biography has been translated into 35 different languages.
Huda Sha'arawi or Hoda Sha'rawi (Arabic: هدى شعراوي, ALA-LC: Hudá Sha‘rāwī; 23 June 1879 – 12 December 1947) was a pioneering Egyptian feminist leader, suffragette, nationalist, and founder of the Egyptian Feminist Union.
4. Ahmed Lutfi el-Sayed (1872 - 1963)
With an HPI of 49.82, Ahmed Lutfi el-Sayed is the 4th most famous Egyptian Social Activist. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Ahmed Lutfi el-Sayed or Aḥmad Luṭfī Sayyid Pasha (IPA: [ˈæħmæd ˈlotˤfi (ʔe)sˈsæjjed]) (15 January 1872 – 5 March 1963) was a prominent Egyptian nationalist, intellectual, anti-colonial activist and the first president of Cairo University. He was an influential person in the Egyptian nationalist movement and used his position in the media to strive and gain an independent Egypt from British rule. He was also one of the architects of modern Egyptian nationalism as well as the architect of Egyptian secularism and liberalism. He was fondly known as the "Professor of the Generation". Lutfi was one of the fiercest opponents of pan-Arabism, insisting that Egyptians are Egyptians and not Arabs. He is considered one of the most influential scholars and intellectuals in the history of Egypt.
5. Maggie Gobran (b. 1949)
With an HPI of 41.75, Maggie Gobran is the 5th most famous Egyptian Social Activist. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Maggie Gobran (Arabic: ماجي جبران) or Mama Maggie, is a Coptic Orthodox consecrated servant and the founder and CEO of the non-profit charity Stephen's Children in Cairo, Egypt. She was also professor of computer science at the American University in Cairo, is married and has a son and a daughter. She was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 and 2020.
6. Aliaa Magda Elmahdy (b. 1991)
With an HPI of 37.22, Aliaa Magda Elmahdy is the 6th most famous Egyptian Social Activist. Her biography has been translated into 24 different languages.
Aliaa Magda Elmahdy (Egyptian Arabic: علياء ماجدة المهدي, IPA: [ʕælˈjæːʔ ˈmæɡdæ (ʔe)lˈmæhdi, ˈʕæljæ-]; born 16 November 1991) is an Egyptian internet activist and women's rights advocate. She became known for publishing a nude photo on her Blogspot page, which she described on Facebook as "screams against a society of violence, racism, sexism, sexual harassment and hypocrisy". Since then she became a subject of several death threats. Elmahdy describes herself as a "secular, liberal, feminist, vegetarian, individualist Egyptian" and has identified as an atheist since turning 16.
7. Asmaa Mahfouz (b. 1985)
With an HPI of 36.71, Asmaa Mahfouz is the 7th most famous Egyptian Social Activist. Her biography has been translated into 28 different languages.
Asmaa Mahfouz (Egyptian Arabic: أسماء محفوظ, pronounced [ʔæsˈmæːʔ mɑħˈfuːz, ˈʔæsmæ-], born 1 February 1985) is an Egyptian activist and one of the founders of the April 6 Youth Movement. She has been credited by journalist Mona Eltahawy and others with helping to spark a mass uprising through her video blog posted one week before the start of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. She is a prominent member of Egypt's Coalition of the Youth of the Revolution and one of the leaders of the Egyptian revolution. In 2011 she was one of five recipients of the "Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought", awarded for contributions to "historic changes in the Arab world". The other joint recipients were Ahmed al-Senussi, Razan Zaitouneh, Ali Farzat, and Mohamed Bouazizi of the Arab Spring. Arabian Business placed Mahfouz at #381 on its list of the World's 500 Most Influential Arabs.
8. Sarah Hegazi (1989 - 2020)
With an HPI of 32.26, Sarah Hegazi is the 8th most famous Egyptian Social Activist. Her biography has been translated into 30 different languages.
Sarah Hegazi (Arabic: سارة حجازي; 1 October 1989 – 14 June 2020), also spelled Hegazy or Higazy, was an Egyptian socialist, writer, and lesbian activist. She was arrested, imprisoned and tortured in Egypt for three months after flying a rainbow flag at a Mashrou' Leila concert in 2017 in Cairo. Hegazi, who lived with PTSD resulting from the prison torture she had experienced in Egypt, was granted asylum in Canada, residing there until her suicide.
9. Nadeen Ashraf (b. 1998)
With an HPI of 15.46, Nadeen Ashraf is the 9th most famous Egyptian Social Activist. Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Nadeen Ashraf (Arabic: نادين اشرف; born 12 March 1998) is an Egyptian feminist activist. Her use of social media instigated the #MeToo movement within Egypt. She is part of the BBC's 100 Women of 2020 list.
People
Pantheon has 9 people classified as Egyptian social activists born between 1872 and 1998. Of these 9, 4 (44.44%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Egyptian social activists include Maggie Gobran, Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, and Asmaa Mahfouz. The most famous deceased Egyptian social activists include Hassan al-Banna, Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad, and Huda Sha'arawi. As of April 2024, 1 new Egyptian social activists have been added to Pantheon including Nadeen Ashraf.
Living Egyptian Social Activists
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Maggie Gobran
1949 - Present
HPI: 41.75
Aliaa Magda Elmahdy
1991 - Present
HPI: 37.22
Asmaa Mahfouz
1985 - Present
HPI: 36.71
Nadeen Ashraf
1998 - Present
HPI: 15.46
Deceased Egyptian Social Activists
Go to all RankingsHassan al-Banna
1906 - 1949
HPI: 70.48
Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad
1927 - 1988
HPI: 63.80
Huda Sha'arawi
1879 - 1947
HPI: 59.14
Ahmed Lutfi el-Sayed
1872 - 1963
HPI: 49.82
Sarah Hegazi
1989 - 2020
HPI: 32.26
Newly Added Egyptian Social Activists (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Social Activists were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 5 most globally memorable Social Activists since 1700.
